Wednesday, January 29, 2014

2008 Upper Deck Heroes of Baseball #90 Matt Kemp Light Blue Patch (02/25)
Since this Matt Kemp card made its way into my collection in 2009, it's just been sitting there, well-protected, at the bottom of a box of cards. I'm hoping someone bites on this lot so somebody who appreciates this card can display it in a place of prominence.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Added to the pile:Lot of Early Fleer and Donruss Cards
Pull the Trigger is as much about getting rid of cards I don't need and finding them a good home as it is about making money for my next purchase. This lot contains about a dozen cards, all from '82 Fleer and '82 Donruss. And the answer is yes, you will get an Ed Lynch in one of these piles.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Card: 2013 Topps 75th Anniversary Richard Kiel AUTO
From: Hobby box
Why I Like It:
Richard Kiel and I have an interesting, if one-sided, history. Aside from having seen Kiel in a number of offbeat roles in random movies, he turned up in a prominent position in one of the other realms in which I collect. I've been collecting issues of Video Watchdog on and off for the past ten years or so, and Richard Kiel popped up on the cover of issue #97 just a few months before the magazine went all-color and switched the cover design to a more modern widescreen television.
There's also this restaurant/bar in Milwaukee called The Safe House. It's sort of tucked away off an alley downtown, it has a spy theme, and you have to know the secret password to get in. If you don't know the password, you have to do some sort of stunt (like dancing like a chicken or doing pushups) right there in the foyer in order to gain admittance. The rest of the patrons already in the bar can see your antics played on closed-circuit television, so there's definitely an upside to knowing the password. Anyways, there are several sections to the main dining area, all of which are completely plastered with James Bond posters and gadgets and anything remotely related to the spy genre. In one lonely hallway hangs a small autographed photo of one Richard Kiel. My first time there I made sure to get my picture taken in front of it. That picture even made it into my wedding slideshow. So yeah, I was more than a little happy to get this in my box of Topps 75th. As I stated earlier, I didn't open much wax this year, and this is hardly the most valuable card I've ever pulled, but it's a special one to be sure.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Card: 2008 Topps Heritage High #ROA-JH Jay Hook AUTO
From: Hobby box
Why I Like It:
Jay Hook, despite playing a total of four games in the 1957 and 1958 seasons, didn't get a Topps card until 1960. This card acts as sort of a "What If?" proposal, showing the world what it would have been like if Topps was as aggressive back then getting a rookie's first card printed. The signature on this is great, and it tells the collector some interesting stuff about Hook. For one, he was the first Mets pitcher to win a game, and he earned a master's degree in thermodynamics. Jay also got traded to the Milwaukee Braves at the end of his career, but he would never play a game there. I bought two boxes of Heritage High this summer, and I seem to remember one of them missing the promised jersey/auto, but this card pretty much made up for it.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Card: 2013 Topps Update All-Star Stitches #ASR-CK Clayton Kershaw Jersey
From: Hobby box
Why I Like It:
Jersey card of arguably the best pitcher in baseball? What's not to like?
(Actually, I know there are people who despise these workout jersey cards, but I like them because it places the piece of jersey within a certain event. These also have potential for getting a jersey color not normally seen on that player. I'd imagine most Kershaw stuff is white or gray, so orange is kind of neat to see.)

Friday, January 3, 2014

Card: 2013 Topps Update Series #US189 Kyle Lohse Black Parallel (48/62)
From: Hobby box
Why I Like It:
For the past several years, hobby boxes of Topps flagship have usually had these low-numbered black parallels at the rate of about one per box. I've been buying a box of Update since 2007, and this is the first time I've gotten a Brewer. Lohse had a rough April and May this season, going 1-6, but turned it around (or got more run support) and went 10-4 the rest of the season. Hopefully this is a sign of a return to his 2012 form for the coming season.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

I believe I first opened up TMA VII in early November, and this trade is getting to me sometime between Christmas and New Year's. Better late than never, right. In this trade from Jordan, you'll see that's it's waaaaaaay better to be late than never.

About Me

My non-lethal addictions currently include: Comic books, baseball cards, DVD's, and Hasbro Attacktix figures. I am on pace to become a full-blown grown-up sometime around 2047.
If you care to discuss anything I write, you can email me at: bill13boehm@yahoo.com